Siddhi Sai Apartment, a four-storey structure, collapsed on July 25 this year, killing 17 people including two infants. An inquiry committee, led by BMC additional municipal commissioner Vijay Singhal, on Wednesday submitted the report to municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta. The committee in its report has also pointed towards administrative lapses in the matter and hence recommended inquiry against ward-level officials.

"Though this committee feels that the medical health officer and sanitary inspector do not have any direct role and responsibility in the incidence of collapse, it is recommended to hold separate preliminary inquiry by the chief officer (Enquiry) of the then MOH for issuance of licence without any verification of the necessary document from concerned authorities and present MOH and sanitary inspector Shri Addul Shakoor for the administrative lapses..." states the report.

It has also pointed out that the executive engineer N ward/building and factory engineering staff have failed to perform their duties properly and hence preliminary inquiry of executive engineer, N ward, and building and factory staff by the chief officer (enquiry) has been proposed.

The report states that Shitap should be prosecuted for the crime by the police and BMC under the appropriate sections of the respective act. TOI in its August 23 edition had already pointed towards the lapses on the part of the local BMC staff and how ward officials could have stopped work in the building sans plaint as well.

RELATED

Legal remedies available to homebuyers against builders for unfair practices adopted